Thursday, February 28, 2013

WISHED I COULD THINK OF A CATCHY POST TITLE, BUT..

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IT WAS JUST A YEAR AGO NOW WE WERE BOONDOCKED  SOUTH OF CONGRESS ARIZONA WORKING ON OUR HOUSE DEAL

It was about 3 weeks ago we picked up our Class C Sunseeker in Parker, Arizona.  I posted some photos that day of me hitching the Jeep up to the new rig.  After hooking both the Santa Fe & the Jeep to our Damon over the years I didn’t notice anything different.  But, a reader noticed in one of the photos what he thought might be a problem.  There appeared to be too much of a drop in the hitch arm from where it hooks onto the Sunseeker & where it hooks on to the Jeep.  The Jeep towed perfectly that day but that possible discrepancy has been on my mind ever since.  This morning I decided to hitch the two together & have a second look at things.  Now, to me, everything looks good.  There is a slight drop but it looks normal.  Just wondered if any of you towing guys out there had any thoughts.  Below are the photos I took this morning.

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Spent a good chunk of my day puttering & deciding what goes into the new rig, what stays in the shed, & what goes back to Ontario. With only about a quarter of the storage the Damon had I have had to be very selective. Climbed up in the rig’s roof with my tape measure & measured the distance between the ground & the top of our A/C unit. 11’2”. That’s 7” shorter than our Class A was. Bonus. Also noticed we will be needing 3 MAXXAIR vent covers installed.

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GONNA NEED SOME VENT COVERS PUT ON HERE

IMG_0734Donna, from the CAVE DWELLINGS mentioned in a comment on Wednesday’s post about her dislike for having to carry a camera around her neck.  I don’t like it either.  With a little longer than normal camera strap you can easily carry your camera, especially if it’s a heavier DSLR with a bigger lens on it, over your left shoulder & under your right armpit.  Opposite if your left handed.  Much like a lady might safely carry her purse I suspect.  Photo shows how I carry my camera.  It’s comfortable, does not swing,  & I can easily move it around behind me for going through brush or scrambling over rocks, or bring it up in front of me for a shot.  Also allows me to walk easily with my right hand resting on the camera itself if I want.  No camera strap around the neck trying to pull your head off……

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Using colorful binder twine & string found in the desert, some kind of little bird has carefully built this nest in a Buckhorn Cholla near the trail we walk in the mornings.

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A new Blog Follower joins us today.  JoAnne & Rick from RICK & JOANNE'S TRAVELS patiently waded through the Google sign-up brambles & were able to land themselves in our Blog Followers box.  Thanks for taking the time to do that folks, & welcome aboard:))

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PHEEBS HAS A RELAXING MORNING ON THE FRONT PORCH

Tomorrow I am going do something a little different with my blog.  Instead of our daily happenings, I am going to post a story.  It is a story which will span about over five decades.  It will begin in the late 1940’s.  And it will begin again on a dark night in 1978. And, it will end with a flurry of emails late in the winter of 2003.  This is the true story of a mystery involving 3 people.  The answer to that mystery was carried by one of the 3 for many years.  And, that one person was me.  The story centers around…… a rock.

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IS IT ANY WONDER I NEVER SEEM TO GET A GOOD NIGHT’S SLEEP

GROANER’S CORNER:((  Matt went into Doc Steven's office for his annual checkup, and the Doc asked if there was anything unusual he should know about.
He told the Doc that he found it real strange how his suit must've shrunk just sittin' in his closet, because it didn't fit when he went to get ready for a wedding recently.
The Doc said, "Suits don't shrink just sittin' there. You probably just put on a few pounds, Matt."
"That's just it, Doc, I know I haven't gained a single pound since the last time I wore it."
"Well, then," said Doc, "You must have a case of Furniture Disease."
"What in the world is Furniture Disease?" Matt asked.
"Furniture Disease, Matt, is when you reach that stage in life when your chest starts slidin' down into your drawers."

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- Tourists see the world, travelers experience it.
- Home is where your pet is:))
- "If having a soul means being able to feel
love and loyalty and gratitude, then animals
are better off than a lot of humans."
(James Herriot)
- The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails -William Arthur Ward
- The only thing better than right now will someday be the memories of right now...AL.
- It is not so much having nothing to do as it is not having the interest to do something....AL.

15 comments:

  1. Al, Roadmaster recommends your toad attachment point be no more than 3" above or 3" below the centerline of the MH attachment point. read page 16 of this document
    < http://roadmasterinc.com/pdf/85-1880-06.pdf >

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  2. I like your suggestion for carrying the camera. Now I have to remember where I put the camera strap!

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  3. Oh my gosh....A ROCK? 'Ole Rockhound John will have to read one!

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  4. We too had an uneven car to RV hitch situation that one of the other bloggers pointed out after we had posted a picture of them. Craig got a drop hitch thingy and all is even now. I guess it can do damage to your car over time.

    Re the camera strap. Craig has also worn his heavy camera that way. I shortened my strap quite a bit on my little point and shoot so it rests quite high. I padded the neck strap so when things get hot and sweaty it doesn't irritate my neck. I like the neck strap because I use two hiking poles and can't really carry the small camera in hand.

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  5. A catchy title??
    'I go where I am 'towed'!

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  6. Thanks for the camera strap idea. I feel like my camera is part of me now...just cant leave home without it!

    Neat nest!

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  7. I've used an elastic-type strap that's usually used by birding people. It goes over both shoulders & criss-crosses in the back. With my big DSLR I don't feel it a bit, it hangs in front of me, and never slips off of my shoulder. AND I can adjust it high or low, depending on what I'm doing. Love it!

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  8. You are close on the tolerance with your hitch. However, that said, I would be uncomfortable with it. Problem is, when you apply brakes on the tow vehicle, the front end goes down and the rear rises. That throws it farther out of line and the jeep may shoot upward and smack into the back end of the MH. Especially if you don't have a Brake in your towed vehicle.

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  9. Looking at your towed hookup actually looks fine to me. Ours is about same and have been towing the same car now for 7 years, with no problems.

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  10. We have a 39 ft. Discovery and were towing a 2004 Tahoe. Changed to a 2011 HHR and after the first trip of over 600 miles, found out that the height difference caused the car's front tires to wear badly. Changed to a drop hitch arrangement, and all is well. You might want to check this situation out a little more.

    Selene, NC

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  11. Here again after looking at your picture again, you are close and can probably get by OK.

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  12. Another "teaser"from Al...I can't wait to read your blog...Unfortunately, it may have to wait until Sunday..We have 5 grandkids and 6 adults coming tomorrow...my plate is full!

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  13. would never add a drop section that put the end of the tow bar lower than the attachment point on the car. The danger is that the end of the tow bar will hit the pavement when you drive over a bad "flex" in the road.

    For example, the drop section that I added to our tow bar would hit the road in a nasty junction between our freeway exit and a steep road leading to our house. Merikay built a styrofoam mockup of the drop section. When we drove over this junction, the mockup hit the road quite hard. So we don't attach the tow bar until we're on the highway, and take it off before we get home to our exit.

    Depending on the length and road clearance of your RV, and how far the rear wheels are from the back, this may not be a problem on your rig.

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  14. A new story, yea! I remember the story of the lamp in Bayfield. Great story. Getting closer every day to getting out there.

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